Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 922 - 923

CHARLES P. LYON. Prominent among the successful and enterprising farmers of Waco Township may be found the subject of this biographical sketch, whose home is situated on section 19, and who is considered one of the most industrious and worthy citizens of this part of the county. He is a native of Kentucky, having been born in Rockcastle County, Nov. 6, 1819, and is the son of William H. and Mary (Britton) Lyon, who were natives of Virginia and Kentucky respectively.

            Mr. Lyon, of whom this sketch is written, is the eldest of a family of ten children born to his parents, and of his brothers and sisters the following record is given: Parks B., who married Susan Woodman, and is a farmer near Keokuk, Iowa; Stephen H. is residing on a farm in Arkansas with his family, which consists of his wife and two children, he having buried three more; Sarah Jane married Isaac Garrett, and had a family of ten children, only two of whom are now living, and resides on a farm in Mahaska County, Iowa; Arethusa died in Indiana, at the age of three years; Peter married Miss Catherine Hull, and is engaged in farming in Iowa; James Monroe married Ann Garrett, who died in Colorado, when he again married, and is following farming in Mercer County, Mo., and has two children; America married John W. Garrett, who is deceased; she is now married to John Cooper, and lives in Mercer County, Mo. Zachariah and Elizabeth died in infancy.

            When our subject was but eighteen months old, his parents removed to Indiana, where Charles received the elements of his education in the district school, and received such training upon the home farm as fitted him for the life of an agriculturist. He remained at home until about eighteen years of age, when he went to Henry County, Ill., where he remained until 1809. At that time he journeyed westward, and crossing the Mississippi, settled in Henry County, Iowa, where he made his home for some seven years, engaged in farming and milling operations. In 1872 he came to Kansas and settled in Sedgwick County, on the farm where he is now living. Ever since locating in this place he has occupied a prominent place in the estimation of the people of the community, and is one of the leading, representative farmers of the township.

            Our subject was united in marriage, Aug. 15, 1840, in Missouri, with Almena Hobson, a native of Orange County, N. C., born June 11, 1823, and the daughter of William and Sarah (Dyson) Hobson. The former died Aug. 15, 1867. By this marriage there have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lyon a family of seven children, as follows: Mary Jane, who was born Aug. 19, 1841, married A. Gaskell, and is residing at Keokuk, Iowa, with her two children; William H. was born Oct. 21, 1843, married Temperance Cooper, is living in this county, and has one child; George, who was born May 4, 1846, died Sept. 8, 1863, in Keokuk, Iowa; Sarah, who was born Aug. 5, 1850, married Silas Porter, and died in 1887, having been the mother of seven children; Peter W., who was born June 2, 1853, married Miss Mary Booth, is the father of four children, and is engaged in farming in this county; Louisa R., whose birth took place Oct. 13, 1856, married George Record, a farmer of this county, and has a family of six children; and Melinda, born Sept. 11, 1864, at home.

            Mr. Lyon has a fine farm of 160 acres of land, sixty of which is now in pasture, he giving considerable attention to the rearing of fine stock, in which he is meeting with merited success. Politically, he affiliates with the Republican party, and is a strong and earnest advocate of the temperance cause. He has held the offices of School Director and School Treasurer, and gives considerable attention to educational interests. In presenting to our patrons views of farm homesteads, that belonging to Mr. Lyon has, among others, been selected, and is given on another page.

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